Washington, D.C., is one of the most architecturally uniform and meticulously planned cities in the United States. Awash in rows of imposing colonial buildings, each housing various arms of the nation’s federal government, the city posed a unique challenge to the designers of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), the latest addition to the country’s arsenal of national museums. Previously housed in a small gallery inside the American History Museum, the NMAAHC is the newest standalone museum at the Smithsonian Institution.

The 14-story glass tower incorporates technologically advanced classrooms, collaboration spaces, and a modern simulation center to reflect how medicine is taught, learned, and practiced in the 21st century.